"Frozen" muscles/ Thyroid or Autoimmune?

[bobbiepruett]

My muscles are SO TIGHT that they have become "frozen" in some spots, which restricts movements and keeps me from sleeping, which then becomes a bad pain cycle.  I have a lot of other weird symptoms, such as:
Always hungry; eat lots, but still losing weight (not normal for me!), nausea and vomiting (especially when I'm hungry...low blood sugar maybe?); insomnia (pain & menopause caused); headaches; eye pain; muscles in face all tighten at the same time(?!), and others I can't think of right now...oh, poor memory; poor cognitive thinking; irritable.

I have had Hypothyroidism for over 15 years, overweight most of my adult life, until now, lost over 40 lbs in one year w/out trying!  I tested TSH two months ago.  TSH=12.2, so, still really low.  Doc has me taking 150 mcg Synthroid still as he hasn't adjusted yet.  I THINK I MAY HAVE HYPERTHYROIDISM NOW, AS A LOT OF THE SYMPTOMS POINT THAT WAY, but my doctor thinks I have an autoimmune disorder.  

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone, or does anyone have any advice?

[Barb135]

Is TSH the only thyroid test that's been done?  What about Free T3 and Free T4?  Those are the actual thyroid hormones and are better suited to tell you what's going on than TSH...

Even at that, with a TSH of 12.2, you wouldn't be hyper as 12.2 is way over range for TSH...

Many of your symptoms indicate hypothyroidism, along with some other issues that may not be thyroid related.  Have you been tested for diabetes?  Have you had vitamin B-12 levels tested?

What autoimmune disorder does your doctor think you have?  It's very easy to find out, by doing the proper antibody tests.

[bobbiepruett]

Yes I had my T4free tested lately also, it was 0.97.  I can't seem to find a doctor that is very knowledgeable about thyroid issues and am on state insurance, so getting a referral is not easy.  I've been sick with some of these issues for almost 5 yrs.  Been tested for RA, MS, Lupus, and my doc is seriously considering Parkinson's.  All the tests for these diseases have not shown antibodies, or were negative I was told.  I am going to ask for a Diabetes test again.  I had a test (non-fasting) and my blood sugar was okay, but I don't know if actually doing a fasting test might show more?  Not sure.  I think a lot of my symptoms, that I thought might be Hyperthyroidism, may be some autoimmune problem, now that you pointed out that I must have low-thyroid w/ a test TSH of 12.2.  I have not been tested for B-12 levels.  Just given more and more meds and told to just bare it til symptoms gets worse and something shows up.  Very frustrating.

[Barb135]

What was the reference range for the Free T4?  Reference ranges vary lab to lab and have to come from your own lab report.  I guess they didn't do a Free T3?  That's the hormone that correlates best with symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH do not... Ask your doctor for it every time you have thyroid testing, along with the Free T4 and TSH.

Have you ever been tested for thyroid antibodies - Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab), sometimes called Anti-Microsomal Antibodies and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) to determine if you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?  Hashimoto's is another autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid.  Hashimoto's, itself won't cause the symptoms you're having, but hypothyroidism can cause "some" of them...

Also have you been tested for celiac?  Celiac is an autoimmune, in which one has an allergy to gluten that's found in wheat, barley and rye.  Gluten allergy could cause the nausea/vomiting, which could, in turn cause the weight loss.  If one is allergic to gluten, you must maintain a completely gluten free diet.

Do you know how long after you ate, that you had the blood sugar test?  If you have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), that can cause nausea and vomiting.  Hypoglycemia is controlled the same way diabetes is controlled - by eating low glycemic (low sugar) foods that don't spike your blood sugar, because it spikes when you eat sugar, then the bottom drops out.  A hemoglobin A1c test would tell you what your blood sugar has averaged over the past 3 months; that's a better diagnostic for diabetes than a single fasting glucose test.